Scavenged Friends
by twonormalgirlsandaiportal
Summary: GOING TO REDO COMPLEATLY! GIVE ME A SEC. Kidding, it will be redone but it will be a while.
1. a different tought

**AM: The idea for the frame type goes to Gatekat, I liked the story about Ida and Blue so I wanted to go with the idea of Shockwave creating the poison version. But this has nothing to do with Gatekat's story and so will not have Ida in it, or begin before the war. I just really like the frame type and wanted to have the other snaky mech out there. I own nothing.**

On a jungle planet, not far from Cybertron, a metal building gleamed like the sun. It seemed quiet, but screams from inside begged to differ…and for mercy. The building belonged to the Cybertronian political party called the Decepticons, and more specifically their 'inventor' Shockwave. Said mech was in the middle of an experiment as he tested new compounds he made on some Autobot's that had been captured the last cycle.

The young mech screamed in pain, acid slipping though his energon line and destroyed him from the inside. As his spark fizzled out, the frame was tossed to Shockwave's 'pets'. They tore it apart, the acid filled energon already evaporated. It left no trace, something that the mech was very happy about. Limbs and parts flew as the ravenous Insectacons searched for the eatable insides of the offlined 'Bot.

A hollowed out arm crashed into one of the other cages, an annoyed hiss adding to the fray of snarls and growls. The other prisoners watched in horror as their captor strapped the next one to the table. This one was older than the rest, sewing curse after curse at the one optic mech.

"LET US GO YOU FRAGING GLITCH!" the mech screamed, thrashing violently as Shockwave strapped him in. The inventor hummed before walking over to a cage, opening it and thrusting his arm inside. Hisses and metal hitting metal gained the 'Bot's attention.

"Perhaps if I showed you what the end product is," Shock wave said as he brought his servo out, "You would see why we need to test?"

At that moment, blue optics went wide as a dark silver frame was pulled into veiw. The experiment looked like a normal mech, till you looked below his waist line. From there a long, single appendage thrashed as the youngling's servos tried to free him. Golden optics leaked coolant as the mech was strapped to a table as well.

"I already made a substance that the acid cannot penetrate, but the application is…Unpleasant," Shockwave explained," All we are doing is tweaking the acid to evaporate before hitting the armor so that the only outward sign of injury is the holes in the armor."

The youngling whimpered as its 'Master' prepared something for it. His optics flashed around the room, looking for anything to free him. Finally they landed on the Autobot on the other table. Blue met gold and the 'Bot was startled to see curiosity and hope in the younger one's optics.

"I was very lucky to get it," Shock wave continued as he came back over, the mech's gaze snapping to his oppressor," This frame that is. Still had a spark inside, though that does require some coding to be created. Soundwave is working on that part, as I'm far too busy." The one optic freak swirled a liquid in a beaker before ripping the youngling's intake open, tossing it down. The serpent hacked and choked, hissing and pained whines coming from him as Shockwave unstrapped him again.

As the monster of a mech put the youngling back, his comm. hub pinged. With a sigh, Shockwave walked away. As he was out of the room, the 'Bot watched as the yellow optics shined brightly in the youngling's cage. They watched the 'Bot in return, flicking down to the arm only once. The arm was grey, but the Autobot symbol was still etched on it. The blue optic mech gave it a sad smile before whispering to the youngling.

"Hey, don't worry little guy," the mech said, "I'll get you out before you know it. Just got to think of a plan first. My des's Trapper."

The mech said nothing, only tilting his head. Or at least that's what Trapper thought was going on as the optics were now on top of one another instead of side by side.

"Here," there was a click as a chip sprang out of Trapper's wrist joint and into his servo," This is a tracking chip. Goes to a good friend of mine named Offroad. We get separated or I can't make it, you use it to find him." Tracker then tossed the chip as best he could, making it bounce and land in the arm of his fellow mech with a small clang. The youngling's appendage came out of the electrified bars, careful not to touch them, and picked up the limb. As it slid in side, Shockwave came back.

"It seems as you have another appoint meant," the mech said as he unstrapped the 'Bot," And I am needed elsewhere as well."

Tossing the mech into a portable cage, Shockwave left again. As his grumbles of 'blasted Seekers' grew quiet, Tracker tried to get the other's attention again.

"What's your des?" The mech asked as he tried to find something to get him out," Come on little mech, I need something to call you."

"I don't have a 'desss'."

Tracker stopped and looked at the dark cage, surprised by the hiss of words," You got ta have a des. Everyone has a des!"

The optics turned again," What isss a desss?"

That really jarred the front liner, "A name. Do you have a name?"

"No," the youngling said quietly," Oncce… I think. But weaponsss don't need namesss."

"You're not a weapon," Tracker said, "Weapon's don't scream. They don't feel pain, talk, get locked in a cage, or have a spark. You're… you're you, and nothing but that. Well, you maybe more, but I don't know yet 'cause I don't know you. So, what do they call you?"

Tracker was unsure of what to expect, but the youngling was now in the little bit of light so he could see that he wasn't too comfortable with telling.

"T-the onesss that come here call me fragger, ssscrap, glitch, grounder-"

"That one," Tracker interrupted, "Grounder is a good name for a mech. Not really an insult ether. Seekers don't have much imagination."

The youngling shuttered his optics," That'sss what thossse mechsss with wingsss are? Sssseekersss?"

"Yep," Tracker smiled," You have a strange glossa there youngling. What's it for?"

The youngling flicked it out, giggling," I can tassste sssmellsss, but it makesss me hissss. And it ticklesss after a while."

Tracker laughed quietly, "I'm sure it does youngling. Anything else that you can do other's can't?"

"I can feel if sssomeone'ssss coming or going…And I don't need my opticssss…" The answers were quiet and hesitant, as if the youngling was unsure if he should trust the Autobot. But the blind honesty that all younglings had made it hard for him to lie.

"Ooo," Tracker said, "Now that's really useful. Hmm, I wonder. Can you scan yourself for any 'extra' parts?"

The two continued their small chat as Tracks talked the youngling though removing trackers and other things that hindered him. The entire time the older mech was trying to think of some way to free the two.

"Who was he?" the youngling asked after a pause of silence, "The other mech."

"Hm? Oh, his des was Hydro. He was a good friend of mine and my partner," Tracker said. He vented sadly and shut off his optics, "Made the best High grade on the base too."

"I'm sorry."

Tracker jumped, unhappy," No. You don't get to be sorry, because you had nothing to do with it. His death is not something you have to bear, and your servos are not stained with his energon. If anything, I'm sorry. I'm sorry we didn't know you were here, that you've been in the hands of that monster, that you've been left to rot in you village, that we were not able to find you, keep you safe, and give you a home. I'm…I'm so sorry Grounder, for everything."

Before the serpent mech was able to respond, he stilled. The youngling's helm snapped to the door, making Tracker flinch from how quick and sharp it was. The youngling hissed and retreated to the black darkness in the back of his cage.

Three Seekers and Shockwave were entering the room, and Tracker was surprised at who it was. Starscream and his lackeys? Megatron must have something _wonderful_ planed for him. As soon as the trine leader's mouth opened, Tracker ignored him. And he kept ignoring him, giving a sad smile and a small wave to the youngling. It wasn't until electricity shot though his frame did he think he should have paid a bit more attention.

The youngling watched as Tracker and the other Autobots were taken away, his spark twisting in a strange way. He didn't want the mech to go. He wouldn't come back…They never came back. He had learned so much, like his name. Tracker called it a des-ig-na-shon. He wanted to learn more.

Tracker, he needed to get to Tracker. The youngling looked at the tracking chip his mech friend had given him. He had said that if they became separated to use it. The youngling popped the chip in, his HUD displaying a ping. But how did he fallow the ping?

The walls and ceiling of his cage were sensitive, any attempt of breaking free and Shockwave would know. But his floor didn't have anything. He wouldn't have been able to recharge if it did. The youngling opened his mouth, to long denta unfolding from the top of it. This would be the first time he would willingly use his poison.

Carefully, the serpent mech dripped the acid on the floor, hissing from melting metal filling his audios. It wasn't too long till he had a hole large enough for him to fit though. And though it he went. His frame made a flopping thunk as he hit the floor of the storage room.

"Oww," he said as he rubbed his sore chest plates," Now where do I go? The ping goes that way…" A wall stood tall in the mechling's way, and he was sure if he went out to the hallway he would be caught. A small ventilation shaft was on the bottom of the wall, and the youngling had been reformatted for them. Using his tail to open the vent, the youngling dove in and closed it as he crawled away. No one would even know he had been there besides the hole in the ceiling.


	2. A little rest

Offroad couldn't believe it, his best friends were dead. Captured and execute in front of Prime no less. The only one who was still MIA was Hydro, but he had his doubts. Offroad dry washed his face with a servo, looking at an old holo of him with the others. Hydro was smiling, an arm around Tracker's neck cables who was trying to push the mech away, a joyful yell on his glossa. Smokescreen was on the side, laughing like he hadn't a care in the world and he was the only one who was actually looking at the photographer, his servo pointing at the three behind him as he smirked.

That was before all this slag happened. The four had taken a class together, as they all were going to work with younglings. Offroad took a swig of the high grade he had been swirling, almost the last of Hydro's last batch. He had a way with energon. He could make the smoothest med grade for the sickest sparkling or the strongest high grade for a mech who just wanted to _forget_. And did Offroad want to forget right now. Tracker would say he was setting a bad example and smirk as he got himself some. He was good with getting younglings to talk and keeping track of everything. And one. The mech had a bad habit of putting trackers on others. Offroad wouldn't be surprised if he still had one on himself.

Smokescreen was with Prime, alive and kicking. He was actually using his knowledge, though on older mechs, and had even pinged him to give the news. Offroad was better off not knowing in his opinion. He was a teacher, an instructor for younglings. He didn't fight, he was no soldier. But there were no younglings left. Most had disappeared, reports from old labs telling of horrible ends they had faced.

A rezone why the unit was on the mud ball of a planet anyway. Shockwave had been reported having a Lab somewhere, and it seemed like it was true. Offroad sighed and put the holo away. He would have little recharge if he didn't try now.

Grounder panted as his vents whined with stress. He had been on the run for a few days now, and his reserves were very low. Not that they were full to begin with, but it was the thought that kept him alive. The thought that Tracker would make them full and give him a warm place to recharge and _no more tests_. Grounder smiled, thinking of his friend. He clutched at the severed arm with glee. With no subspace, he had to carry it the whole way.

"Find Offroad," the youngling whispered to himself, "Wish I had legs, Tracker." A new hobby, or an old one. He didn't know. But talking to himself made everything a bit more…bearable. He slithered though the foliage, his scales puling him forward. The lab had noticed that he left, had to have by now. He'd missed three tests and HE was to have gotten the codes for the younglings processor by now. Grounder was happy to have gotten away.

He refused to go back, that was for sure. Grounder would never go back to _that_. The youngling was still fallowing the tracing chip and it had brought him to a place that messed up his functions. Even the chip was having a hard time with the natural magnetic field he had blindly let it take him to. But the youngling didn't know that was the problem and walked in further.

Silver stones shined brightly in the sun light, leaving Grounder in awe. With his systems out of whack and the chip fritzing, he thought to rest and watch the floating stones. They seemed to be pushed by invisible hands, and some came a little close when Grounder made his way to a normal bolder. His tail end seemed heavier that usual, and as he brought it up Grounder found one of the stones stuck too it!

Other stones were coming close as well, making the serpent mech a little frightened. It was when they jumped and stuck to his frame that he shrieked in terror. Grounder lifted his arms above his faceplates and curled as the stones stuck to his frame. It was a moment before his systems were able to reset and work around the natural magnets. As he lowered his arms, he saw that the other stones were floating away from him now. A quick scan also showed that his systems were fine now and the chip was working again.

"So…I just needed a reset?" Grounder asked himself as he tried to pick off the stones. They were difficult to take off, and he might have left the ones he liked, but he had fun flinging them from his hands when he reversed the magnets in his claw tips.

"They're so sticky!"the youngling laughed, he had no idea what he was doing," Sticky stones!"

Still, he now had a way to carry the arm and keep his servos open. A large magnet was on his back and was perfect for the job. Wrists and neck cable sporting a line of the stones, the little mech continued. He liked the tingling the stones made as he slithered closer to where ever Offroad was.

He wasn't far away when a screech of tires made him hide away in a tree trunk.

"But- what?!"

A grounder mech had transformed and was looking around. His blue optics almost caught sight of Grounder's tail, but he didn't seem to notice. The serpent mech stilled everything he could, fear rushing through his systems like nothing he had ever known.

"I gotta get a vacation," The mech said as he transformed back to his alt mode and drove off. Somehow he hadn't seen or detected the youngling not even a few pede steps away. This took some looking into as the curios serpent flicked out his glossa, able to move now. The mech was different, and that was good.

He was also going in the direction the chip said to go. Grounder shivered, but continued on, his tail swishing behind him as his scales pulled him forward.


	3. WHaaaaa

Grounder grunted as he traveled though the ship's vents, his scales scraping softly on the smooth metal. The mech that he had fallowed had lead him to a ship, and it was buzzing with activity. The movement and noise scared the youngling and he dove for the first vent he had seen. The news of his disappearance had reached the adios of the spies and the Autobot's were planning accordingly.

Shockwave kept his projects very secret, at least till they were complete. The Autobot's had no idea what had escaped the sadistic mech's servos, and weren't too keen on finding out. Their mission was done, and it was time for them to leave. The sooner, the better.

As for the serpent mech, he just wished to give Offroad the arm on his back. He wished to live far away from any other mech, being vary informed of how mech's thought of strange frames or gifts. Grounder didn't want those looks any more. They hurt.

Of course, that would have happened if he hadn't been found. Blue optics widened as Grounder screeched and dove further, only for his tail to be caught by the mech. Thrashing, Grounder hissed and growled at the mech.

"HEY! I FOUND IT!" the mech yelled as he pulled the serpent mech out of the vents.

"The Pit is that?" A second voice said as Grounder came closer to the open room, his struggles becoming less a fear invaded his systems.

"I don't know, but it's gotta be whatever Shockwave's missing."

"What you find Craft?"

"I don't know sir," the mech said as he almost had Grounder out," I've almost got it!"

Grounder yelped again as he was faced with blinding lights and a gathering of mechs. He hissed quietly and tried to pull his tail end out of a white and blue mech's servos, but as he tried to move more mech's held him down. They grabbed hold of his arms and pined his tail down more, some shouting for others to get help or cuffs. A cage was mentioned and Grounder tried harder to get away.

Finally, his scared mind was able to think and he began to cry out to the only mech he knew and trusted.

"T-TRACKER! TRACKER HELP!" the frightened youngling screamed out as his accent and strained vocaliser hissed, "HELP ME TRACKER!"

"Tracker's dead," A dark green mech said as he and another approached, "Executed by Megatron in front of Sentinal."

"All right mechs! Off the youngling," the other said as he glared at then," No need to scare him more than what he is."

The mechas that were pining him jumped off when the word 'youngling' was spoken, horrified that they were possibly hurting him.

"Who are you?" the leader of the group asked. His plating was silver, and he had a blue visor.

"G-grounder, ssssir."

"How did you find us? Why are you here?" The green mech growled.

"Offroad, calm down," the leader said, "He's scared enough."

"O-Offroad?" Grounder asked as he reached behind him, plucking the grey arm from his back," I-I, Tracker sssaid to find you."

Offroad carefully took the arm from him and looked it over. His dark blue optics brightened a bit as he recognized the plating, and then narrowed at Grounder.

"Where the Pit did you get this?"

Grounder shivered and huddled in on himself, a small hiss of fear coming from him as he tried to shy away from the mech's anger.

"Offroad, stand down," the order was clear, and Offroad fallowed it with a snarl. He turned to the mech who told him off and then, with his old friend's arm, stomped off to his quarters. The visor mech sighed and looked down at the shivering mess.

"Hey, hey now," the leader said, "It's okay, it's okay. He's just a little upset. My designation's Harper."

Grounder sniffed, his intakes starting to become heaver. He was hungry and he hurt, all he wanted was to recharge. He sniffed again as Harper put a servo on his shoulder and smiled at him. The mech was nice, and Grounder latched onto his neck cables when he was close enough. The other's in the room jumped but a servo stopped them when Harper showed that he was fine.

"Come on kid," Harper said as he gathered a bit of Grounder's tail, "Let's get you to the med bay. Back to work mechs! We leave in five joors!"

Grounder watched over Harper's shoulder as the mech's started running around, eager to leave.

"Now Lifeguard may be a little scary, but he's not going to hurt you," Harper said as he carried the youngling.

"Y-you're all ssscary." Grounder mumbled as the Med bay doors opened.

Harper chuckled and set the serpent mech on a berth, "Stay here. I'll be back in a few klicks."

Grounder nodded, eyeing vents and the doors. He was still scared though, and was sure that it wouldn't change soon.

"Lifeguard? I got a patient for you," Harper called into the dark office, but a muffled yell was all he heard before hungry red optics shined brightly.

"Oh slag," Harper said as he un subspaced a blaster. He fired off a few shots, diving to the side as an insecticon flew out.

"Lifeguard! You sill function?!" Muffled screams came from farther in the office as the bug shook it's head and turned around. Harper cursed again and fired a shot at the thing's wings. It hit and the insect screeched in pain. As it fell, Harper made sure to end it with a shot to the helm. Quickly, as the bug died, Harper forced the lights on. Lifeguard was strapped to his chair, optics wide with his faceplates wrapped in some fiber.

"You kept one of those?" the mech asked as he cut the fiber.

"It was the chance of a life time!" Lifeguard defended, "And I thought that I could teach it-"

"Stop right there, we already knew that those things are basically drowns with sparks," Harper scolded," There was no way to keep it. Now, before I through you in the brig, I have a patent for you to look over."

"Oh, is Offroad back?"

Harper's optics widened as he rushed out, worried for the youngling. He burst though the doors of the med bay, only to find he had been half right. Offroad was in the bay with Grounder, but he wasn't taking his anger out on the mechling. Instead, Grounder was recharging on the berth as Offroad was petting his helm.

"What?" Offroad said quietly," I would never hurt a youngling!"

"You had me fooled for a moment then," Harper said as he watched the tail tip twitch, "Kid must've been out of it."

"He's starving," Offroad said, "Can't stay up if he wanted too."

"You're pretty good with younglings…" Harper thought out loud.

"I'm an instructor," the mech huffed, "I'm used to them."

"Good," Harper smirked," You're his guardian then."

"WHAT?!" Offroad nearly jumped up, but a whimper from Grounder stopped him, "What the frag?! I can't take care of him!"

"Of course you can!" Harper glared at his subordinate, "He came to find you anyway! We can't take him to the regular youngling centers! Sentinal would have him offlined before we could even land. You're a lone mech who keeps to himself, extra time in your housing unit and out of a bar is better than what you were doing before!"

"I'm not a lone mech!" Offroad tried to defend, "I have things to do when I get back! Younglings to teach!"

"Then teach him! Teach him like any other youngling! His creator's are probably offline, if not 'Cons. They obviously could care less for him right now, as I haven't heard of any younglings going missing.

Harper huffed, "He could be one of the street mechs, still no one to protect him."

"I'm going to Iacon," Offroad groaned out, "How can I hide him there?"

"Keep him in your unit," the leader instructed, "If you're moved, tell him to fallow in the vents."

Lifeguard came out then, pausing at the sight of Grounder, "Wha~? Is this a present for me?"

"No," Harper said sternly, "This is a _mech_, not a toy. He's hurt and starving. Fix him, and I'll let you keep that thing's husk."

Lifegaurd squealed and eagerly began an energon drip and repairing the sensitive mesh below the lax scales. He also pulled off the natural magnets and put them in a box for Offroad to take later as they might be important to the mechling.

After Gounder was recharging peacfuly on the berth, Lifegaurd turned to Offroad.

"Your turn~!"


End file.
